Quote Originally Posted by Daigga View Post
Are the odds of producing twins random in ball pythons, or could it be argued that it's genetic?
Twinning isn't super well understood even in humans where tons of money goes in to understanding it If you find a line of bps that reliably produces twins, I'd LOVE to study them!!!!!

from a human study (C.M. Little 2011):
"A twin pregnancy has a higher risk of fetal morbidity and mortality than a singleton pregnancy depending on the zygosity and chorionicity of the fetuses. (fraternal) Dizygotic twins originate from two separate ova that are fertilized by two different sperm and are no more alike than any two siblings, and (identical) monozygotic twins develop from a single fertilized ovum, develop from one zygote, and are genetically “identical.” Recent evidence has shown that “identical twins” are more genetically discordant than originally thought because of epigenetic factors (this stuff is neat, actually - usually in regards to disease symptoms). In addition, twins are more at risk for chromosomal abnormalities and congenital anomalies. In the last century, twins played and continue to play an important role in genetics research. Twin studies are the criterion standard for research on the importance of heritability and environmental influences on behavior and disease."

Super interesting stuff, really. Even crazier when you think of it in an egg! sharing a yolk?! So amazing!!!